Typewriting and like machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18, 1941.

H. E. BRIDGWATER TYPEWRITING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed sept. 15, 195eMarch 18 1941 H. E. BRIDGWATER TYPEWRITING' AND LIKE MACHINES FiledSept. l5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITING ANDv LIKE MACHINES Herbert E. Bridgwater,Syracuse, N. Y., assigner to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application September 15, 1938, Serial No230,117

7 Claims.

. found most desirable by individual operators.

The main object of my invention, generally stated, is to provideimproved means of the character specified which are simple inconstruction, highly effective in use and convenient in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide for touch regulation byimproved means for varying the tension of a single spring which isstressed a-t each operation of any type action.

Another object of my invention i-s to provide touch regulating means ofthe character specified having improved manually controlled means'lo'-cated at the front portion of the typewriting machine for adjusting thetension of said spring and for indicating the position of adjustment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide manually controlledmeans for adjusting the touch regulating means for the type actions Itoany degree of adjustment within the limits thereof and for maintainingsuch regulating means in any such position to which they may beadjusted.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for varyingthe tension or effective force of a spring means which is stressed to auniform extent at each operation of any type action during the latterportion of the movement of the associated type bar to the printingpoint.

To the above and other ends, which will hereinafter appear, my inventionconsists in the features of construction, arrangement of parts andcombinations of devices set forth in the following description andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in the different views:

Fig. 1 is la side elevational View with parts omitted of a No. 8Remington Noiseless portable typewriting machine equipped with thedevices of my invention.

Fig. 2 is'an enlarged, detail fragmentary top plan view of a portion ofthe machine shown in Fig. 1, the view showing certain parts broken awayand other parts omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail, vertical sectional View of the same takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows at saidline.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view of a portion ofthe machine, with parts broken away and showing the devices of myinvention in one extreme adjusted posi-tion thereof.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, except that said parts are shown inanother extreme position of adjustment. Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail,fragmentary, horizon-tal sectional View taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4

and viewed in the direction ofthe arrows at said line.

Fig. 'l is an enlarged, detail, perspective View of the anchor membershown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. I have shown my invention embodied, in thepresent instance, in a No. 8 Remington Noiseless portable machine Vinwhich the features of the present invention may be readily incorporatedwith but few changes in ythe existing structure of such machine.However, it is to be understood that my invention is not restricted toembodiment trated may be employed in substantially the same manner inthe No. 1, No. 7 and No. 9 Remington portable machines.

I have shown in the accompanying drawings only so much of the usualconstruction of the No. 8 Remington Noiseless portable machine as isnecessary to arrive at an understanding of my invention in itsembodiment therein'.

The type actions in the present, construction may be the same orsubstantially the same as those shown in the patent to G. G. Going, No.1,908,140, dated May 9, 1933.

Thelower portion of the machine in the present instance is provided withan outer metal shell or housing I0, which extends around the sides andfront of the machine. The shell IU is carried by the usual inner framewhich includes side plates I2 (see Figs. 2, 4 and 6) which carry theusual type bar segment and rear cross member not shown. The front endportions o-f the two side plates l2 are connect-ed to and support a keylever guide comb I4 of the usual construction which is mounted oninwardly turned portions vof the side plates l2 by screws l5, as shownin Fig. 2 and Fig. 4.

Each of the type lactions of the presen-t machine includes a type bar I1pivotally mounted at |`8 to the usual type bar segment (not shown) whichis located between and connects the side plat-es I2.` Each type bar I1has on the heel thereof a depending semi-circular portion I9 received ina correspondingly shaped recess in a companion actuating slide 20 whichis suitably guided for movement fore and aft of the machine. The

`forward end of each slide 2li is pivotally conprovided with a fingerkey 21, and the vario-us key levers are of four different lengths in theusual manner to provide a four bank keyboard, as shown in Fig. 1. Therear ends of the key levers forming the rst -three banks are pivotedupon a transverse fulcrum rod 28 extending between the side plates I2,and the key levers forming the four-th bank are pivo-ted upon an uppertransverse fulcrum rod 29 also extending between the side plates I2.

It will be apparent that a depression of each of the key levers 26 willeffect a printing operation of the companion type bar I'I through thepull wire 25, sub-lever 22 and slide 20 `associated therewith. A platen30, shown in Fig. 1, is mounted on the usual case shiftable carriage,not shown. The usual means for effecting noiseless pressure printingoperation of each type bar I'I is shown in Fig. 1 as includ-ing a togglearm 32 and toggle link 33. The upper end of each toggle arm 32 ispivotally mounted at 34 in an upper segment (not shown) extendingbetween the side plates I2. The lower end portion of each toggle arm 32is connected through a link 33 to the upper end portion of the companiontype bar |1.

An intermediate portion of each toggle arm 32' is connected through partof a momentum accumulator 35 to the upper end of an arm 36 pivotallymounted at 31 in a part of the same lower segment on which the type barsIl are pivoted.

The toggle members 32 and 33 of each type action operate in the usualmanner to decelerate the movement of companion type bar Il as itapproaches the printing position, and the momentum accumulator 35operates to substantially straighten these toggle members to effect anoiseless pressure imprint Aof the type 39 on the paper carried by theplaten 3|). A contractile returning spring d2 is provided between therearward end of veach sub-lever 22 and the associated hanger 24 thereforfor returning the companion type action to normal position. Asupplemental contractile returning spring 43 is provided between a crossmember 44 and each of the toggle sub-levers 36.

In 'the present machine, the usual universal bar and intermediateconnections to the ribbon vibrator are provided for shifting the inkingribbon into and out of the path of the type 33 and also for effectingthe longitudinal feed of the ribbon. This universal bar and associatedmechanism is actuated by an operation of each of the type actions, andin the present instance includes a universal bar 43 mounted at. theforward end of arm/49 carried by a rock shaft 53. The universal-barvrock-shaft 50 is square in cross section and extends transversely ofthe machine and is pivotally mounted to turn on cone shaped ends ofpivot screws 5| extending inward from the two side plates I2. The screws5| may be threaded into companion tapped openings in the side plates I2and the position of the screws 5| is retained by companion lock nuts 52.The universal bar 48 extends transversely of the machine beneath all ofthe key levers 26, and the upper portion of the bar 48 is bent forwardlywith slots provided therein between adjacent key levers to provideindividual upstanding portions 4Sa each of which is engaged by acompanion key lever 25. These individual contact portions 48a of theuniversal bar 48 may be bent downwardly or upwardly to provideindividual `adjustment for the operation of the universal bar for eachof the key levers 26.

The mechanism actuated by the universal bar 48 for eflectinglongitudinal feed of the ribbon and for actuating the ribbon vibratormay, for example, be the same as that shown and described in the patentto G. G. Going No. 1,937,692 dated Dec. 5, 1933. A portion of suchmechanism is shown in Fig. l as including two upstanding arms 54 and 55carried by the universal-bar rock-shaft 59, the arm 55 being pivotally:connected to a link 55 for operating the ribbon feed mechanism, not.shown. The other arm 5d is pivotally connected to a link 5l whichextends rearwardly of the machine to effect vertical movement of aribbon vibrator 58 at each operation of a type action through the usualmechanism which it is not considered necessary to show or to describe indetail in the present instance.

The portion of the machine thus far described is not modied by theincorporation of the devices 'of my present invention therein and may beo'f the usual construction ordinarily employed in the No. 8 RemingtonNoiseless portable machine.

A returning spring is usually provided for the universal bar and theparts controlled thereby, and my invention in the present instance isparticularly concerned with the provision of an improved means forreadily Varying the tension of such returning spring to thereby regulatethe operating touch of the type actions to accord with the individualdesires of different operators.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 4 and 6, it will be seen that acontractile spring 5! is connected at its upper end to an arm 6Iattached at 62 to the universal-bar rock-shaft 563 to extend upwardlyand rearwardly therefrom. The lower end of the 'spring 60 is connectedto the forward end of an anchor member or arm 54 which is pivotallymounted on a headed shouldered pivot screw 65 threaded into a tappedopening in the right hand side plate I2 and in a bracket 66 which isordinarily secured to and carried by said side plate I2, as shown inFig. 6. A slide,

member or link r66 is provided at its rear end portion with -alongitudinally extending slot 6l which receives the stem portion of thescrew 65 to support the member E6 at its rear end for sliding movementfore and aft of the machine. Theforward end of the slide 551s pivotallyconnectedat 68 to the depending arm of a bellcrank 'In which constitutesa manually adjusted touch regulating device, control member or lever.The bellcrank 'l0 may be mounted to turn around a bushing (see Fig. 3)seated on the body portion of the right hand -screw 5I between theassociated lock nut 52 and the cuter surface of the iight hand sideplate I2. The forwardly extending arm of the bellcrank 'I0 is turnedupward and terminates in a finger piece l2. As may be seen in Fig. 2,the upwardly extending portion of the bellcrank lil extends past theinside edge-of the bead formed by the inwardly turned portion IIla alongthe upper edge of the outer shell II! of the machine` The finger piece'l2 overlies the bead Il!a along the upper edge of the righthand side ofthe shell o1' housing Ill and is thereby positioned for convenientmanipulation lby the operator at the front of the machine near thekeyboard.

The link or slide 66 and the (body portion of the anchor member 64 arethus mounted between the right hand side plate I2 and the outer shellmember l0 of the machine, as shown in Fig. 6. The forward end of theanchor member 64 is vward/ly of themachine toward an extreme positionillustrated in Fig. 5 to afford a relatively bent inward at. 64a to passvthrough an opening l2a in the lowerfront corner of the right-hand sideplate l2 (see Figs. 3 and 6) so that the end of this portion 64a towhich the spring 60 is connected lies beneath .the end of the arm 6I ofthe rock shaft 56.

Means are provided for effecting a pivotal movement of the anchor member64 by a sliding movement of the -member 66. Thus, a headed pin 'I5 isriveted at a reduced diameter portion thereof to the slide member 66,and the stem of this pin 15 is received in a diagonally disposed camslot or elongated opening 16 provided in the central portion of theanchor arm 64. This pin and slot connection provides in effect a camoperating connection whereby a fore and aft sliding movement of themember 66 effects a pivotal movement of the arm 64 about the pivot screw65.

It will now be apparent that an operator can readily manually adjust thecontrol lever or bellcrank 'l0 by the finger piece 'l2 at the frontportion of the machine to effect a sliding movement of the member 66which in turn will cause a pivotal adjustment of the anchor member 64and thereby increase or decrease the tension of the spring 60. However,the construction and arrangement of the parts are such that the reactiveforce of the spring 60 in any adjustment of the parts of the touchregulating means will not displace such parts from the positions towhich they have been adjusted. Thus it will ,be seen that the greatestcomponent of the reactive force of the spring 60 is exerted to turn themember 66 upward around the pivot 65 as a center, but that such force isexerted longitudinally against the depending arm of the control lever10' and against the fixed pivot of said lever whatever may be theadjustment ofthe lever. The reactive force of the spring 60 to displacethe parts of the touch regulating means from their adjusted positions istherefore effectively resisted without the necessity of employing anyspecial detent mechanism. y

It will be clear that the range of adjustment of the present mechanismwill be determined by the length of the slots 6"l and 16, and theengagement of the end walls of the slot 61 with the body portion of thepivot screw 65 provides an eiective stop for limiting the two extremeadjusted positions of the control lever 'l0 and the parts controlledthereby. Inasmuch as the pin and slot connection between the members 64and 66 does not permit the tension of the spring 60 to cause a movementof the control or adjusting lever 10 and the parts controlled thereby,it will be clear that any degree of adjustment of the tension of thespring 60 within the limits of movement of the touch control mechanism`may be effected as the control lever 10 and parts operated thereby willbe retained in any position to which they are moved by the operator.

Means are also provided in the present instance for indicating theposition of adjustment of the touch regulating mechanism. Suchindicating means are provided in the lpresent instance by the indices Land H and intermediate scale or division lines 18 suitably marked on theupper edge portion l0a of the shell I0 of the frame of the machine, asshown in Fig. 2. These indices are positioned beneath the nger piece 12and cooperate therewith to indicate to the operator the existingposition of adjustment of the touch regulating mechanism. The indicium Lindicates that the linger piece 12 is to be moved rearspring 60.

light operating touch, while the indicium H indicates that the fingerpiece is to be moved forwardly of the machine toward an extreme poi5sition shown inFig. 4 to obtain a relatively heavy operating touch. Thescale division lines 18 will of course indicate various intermediatedegrees of touch between the lightest and the heaviest which can beafforded by the range of .10 adjustment of the regulating means.

' `Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, it may be seen that certain of the keylevers 26 have a relatively different extent of pivotal operatingmovement before the shoulder portion 26a thereof engages a .15 resilientstop strip mounted at the lower end of the guide comb l4 Thus, the keylevers 26 which have keys 21 forming the first or lower transverse rowor bank of keys have the shortest extent of pivotal movement while thesecond, U20 third and fourth banks successively increase slightly intheir extent of pivotal movement. In order that the four groups of keylevers having these relatively different extents of travel may allafford a uniform actuating movement of the universal bar mechanism, theportions 26b of these four groups of key levers which overlie theuniversal bar 48 are staggered in different vertically spacedrelationship to provide different extents of lost motion between the keylevers and :30 the universal bar. In this manner the universal barreturning spring 6U will be stressed to a uniform extent irrespective ofthe variation in the dip or pivotal movement of the Various key levers26.

From the above it will be clear that the extent of lost motion betweenthe key levers and the universal bar is relatively different in the fourgroups of key levers associated with the diiferent banks of keys, andaccordingly Aa change in the 40 tension or eifective force of the spring66 will be ineffective to alter the touch throughout slightly differentportions of the initial movement of these different groups ofv keys.Therefore, during such initial movement of each type action '45 it isnecessary to overcome the force of the returning springs 42 and 43 only,thereby affording a light initial touch on the keys irrespective of theadjustment of the tension of the 'I'he tension or effective force of the'50 spring 60 is not exerted against each type action until after theparts thereof are set in motion when the resistance of such force isfelt less upon the keys. The spring 66 then provides a uniformresistance throughout a fixed extent of the "55 latter portion of themovement of the actuated type action, Accordingly, a change in thetension or effective force of the spring 60 will uniformly alter theoperating touch during the latl ter portion of the movement of all ofthe type *60 actions. Inasmuch as the returning spring 66 for theuniversal bar mechanism aids materially in the initial portion of thereturn movement of each type action from the printing position, it willb e clear that the tension of the spring 66 T65 in the present instancewill be equally effective on'all of thetype actions during this initialportion of the return movement thereof.

.From the aspect of effecting a snappy quick return of each type barfrom its printing position, -7'0 thereby preventing interference orcollision between the various type bars near the printing point, orwithin the danger Zone, it is very desirable that the universal barreturning spring 66 act uniformly on all of the type actions dura 15 ingthe latter portion of the travel of the type bars to and from theprinting point to aiord a uniform fast operation of all of the type barsin the zone Where the danger of interference or collision is thegreatest.

It will be seen that I have thus provided a very simple and yet highlyeffective touch regulating means which may be readily adjusted tosimultaneously regulate the operating touch of all of the type actionsto accord with the individual desires of different operators. I havevalso provided a convenient indicating means whereby the operator mayreadily determine the different quality of touch to be afforded fby thedifferent positions of the control or adjusting member.

A particular feature of the present invention is in the provision of ahighly effective touch regulating means by varying the tension oreffective force of the spring means such as is ordinarily employed toreturn the universal bar mechanism to normal position, inasmuch as suchspring means is of course stressed at each operation of any type actionand accordingly any change in the tension of such spring meanssimultaneously affords a variation in the operating touch of all of thetype actions.

A further feature of the present invention is the provision of anadjusting means for spring means stressed by the operation of the typeactions wherein there are no dened increments or fixed positions ofadjustment and which thereby aifords any degree of infinitely neadjustment of the operating touch Within the limits thereof.

Although in the present instance the touch regulating mechanism of thepresent invention has been shown applied to the returning spring for auniversal bar mechanism employed for effecting the usual feed movementof a ribbon and the actuation of the ribbon vibrator, it will be clearthat the present mechanism could be employed in a similar manner to varythe tension of the returning spring for a universal bar ordinarilyprovided for other purposes such for example, as for operating the usualcarriage escapement mechanism. It will also be clear that from certainaspects of my invention the `present touch regulating mechanism could beapplied to vary the tension of a returning spring for a universal baroperated by different parts of the type action other than the keylevers, such for example as the sub-levers or the type bars. In otherinstances a univa-rsa1 bar may be provided solely for tensioningpurposes without being connected to operate or control other elements ofthe machine.

Various changes may be made in the construction, and certain featuresthereof may be employed without others, without departing from myinvention as it is defined in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of type actions, auniversal bar actuated thereby and operatively connected to actuate apart of the machine, a single spring for returning said universal bar tonormal position, and manually controlled touch regulating means forvarying the tension of said spring, said touch regulating meanscomprising a pivoted member to which one end of said spring is anchored,a hand controlled pivoted member, a slide that is actuated thereby, andcam connections between said slide and said rst named pivoted member.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of type actions, auniversal bar operated thereby, a single spring which is stressed ateach operation of said universal bar, a pivoted anchor member to whichone end of said spring is connected, a slide, operative connectionsbetween said slide and anchor member to eifect a pivotal movement of thelatter by a sliding mpvement of the slide, and a control lever having afinger piece at the front portion of the machine and operativelyconnected to said slide to adjust it.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of type actions, auniversal bar actuated thereby,

a spring for returning said universal bar to nor-- mal position andtouch regulating means therefor comprising a pivoted anchor member towhich one end of said spring is connected, a slide, cam connectionsbetween said slide and anchor member to eiect a pivotal movement of thelatter by a sliding movement of the slide, a control lever having afinger piece at the front portion of the machine and operativelyconnected to said slide to adjust it, and indices for indicating theposition of adjustment of said control lever.

4. In a. typewriting machine, the combination of type actions, auniversal bar operated thereby, a single spring which is stressed ateach operation of said universal bar, a pivoted anchor member having aninclined slot therein and to which one end of said spring is connected,a slide having a pin received in said inclined slot, and a manuallyadjusted control lever operatively connected to said slide.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of type actions, auniversal bar actuated thereby, a spring for returning said universalbar to normal position, and touch regulating means for varying the touchon the printing keys comprising a pivoted arm having an inclined slottherein and to which one end of said spring is anchored, a link mountedat one end to receive `a sliding movement and provided with a pin;received in said inclined slot, a control lever having a iinger piecenear one side of the frame of the machine at the keyboard, said controllever being pivoted to the opposite end of said link, and indices withwhich said control lever coacts to indicate `the position of adjustmentthereof.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a plurality of typeactions, a universal bar operated by each of said type actions, a springfor returning said universal bar to normal position, a movable anchor toWhich'one end of said spring is connected, an adjusting member mountedfor sliding movement, and cam operating means for moving said anchor bymovement of said adjusting member.

'7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a plurality of typeactions, a universal bar operated by each of said type actions, a springfor returning said universal bar to normal position, a movable anchor towhich one end of said Ispring is connected, an adjusting member mountedfor sliding movement, cam means on said anchor inclined with respect tothe direction of movement of said adjusting member, and means on saidadjusting member coasting with said cam means to cause movement of theanchor by movement of said adjusting member.

HERBERT E. BRIDGWATER.

